Secrets and Lies
by FuzzyLion
Summary: After finding Leon in a bad way, Cloud is determined to find out what happened. However, will his developing feelings for the gunblader help or hinder him when he finally learns the truth? CLC and some non-con ?xL COMPLETE - Finished for Leon's birthday.
1. The Situation

**Disclaimer: **As much as I might like to own them, I can't afford them, therefore, places, names and whatnot don't belong to me.  
**A/N:** Hey all, good to see everyone and all that. This is the first piece of work I've submitted in a while and it's going to be (maybe) the first multichaptered submission I've done in a long time. It won't be longer than three or four chapters I don't think, and I have an idea of what I want, but I'm not certain on whether I'll continue this. Any thoughts and ideas would be appreciated.

Secrets and Lies.  
Chapter One.  
The Situation.

For the first time since the heartless attacked over a decade ago, there was peace in Radiant Garden. No more heartless roamed the streets, no more Maleficent meddling with the darkness and now the people could live without fear. It was safe for them to wander the streets unescorted again, safe for the children to play outside in the street or at the park. The restoration of the city was still taking place but for the most part, it was only the castle that needed repairing, aside from whatever odd jobs the city-folk required, and a few final outlying houses on the very outskirts of the city, where the urbanised centre gave way to vast fields of fertile land.

Not only had the darkness been sealed away, hopefully permanently, but the rest of the world had returned also, meaning that people and places that had been thought lost forever were restored, and thus the world seemed to return to normal. Those who had seen the demise of the world and survived it seemed to prefer to stay in Radiant Garden, a place they were familiar with, and when unfamiliar faces began to appear, visitors from the restored towns further out, they were wary, reluctant to interact and re-forge the bonds that had been broken with the fall of the world.

Soon enough, things had settled down yet again, but those who had fought through the fall of Radiant Garden and returned, rebuilding the economy and whatnot, remained something of a tight-knit community. Those in the inner reaches of the city, around the base of the castle were the ones most familiar with the Restoration Committee and the lengths they went to in their efforts to rebuild their home.

However, if there was one thing that everyone in Radiant Garden knew, even those new to the repaired city, it was that the Restoration Committee leader, Leon, worked harder than probably anyone else to return the city to its former glory. If someone requested something of him, he took time out of his own busy schedule to help the people who needed it. So when one of the city's many inhabitants came knocking on Merlin's door one balmy summer afternoon to inform them of how the leader had promised to fix a leaky pipe in their basement that morning and still hadn't even arrived, it raised a few questions as to what could possibly have distracted the rather single-minded male from his self allotted task.

That was the first of many instances that afternoon of people arriving on the doorstep of Merlin's house, the committee's base of operations of sorts, to not necessarily complain but to let the others of the committee know that a certain someone hadn't done as he'd said he would that day. By the time the fifth person came and went, the whole committee had gathered together and to no-one's surprise, the gunblader wasn't among them.

They tried calling him, since all the committee members had consented to carry around a mobile phone so that they could keep in touch when they were in different parts of the city but they didn't even get put through to his voicemail, they couldn't even reach his phone, let alone leave a message. Of course by then they were starting to get worried, the flower girl especially. When they couldn't reach the male by phone, she knew something was wrong. He may not be the most socially adept man in the city but he knew better than to just turn off his phone or leave without telling anyone.

And so they agreed to launch a search for him, Tifa even managing to persuade Cloud to join them on the search with some well placed threats, though the blond didn't really intend to just leave the man out there if he was in trouble after all. He might not want to get involved in something that had nothing to do with Sephiroth, whom he still had yet to defeat, but he didn't want to see the pink-clad flower girl look so worried about someone again, not to mention that the brunet warrior's absence did have him somewhat concerned too, although it seemed as though he was the only one willing to have any faith in the brunet to look after himself. He'd probably turn up come nightfall and claim to have single-handedly defeated some mighty heartless, and then pass it off as being just in a day's work.

Only, it didn't work out like that.

After searching a relatively large area, making it mid evening by then, they found themselves passing through the bailey, through the restoration site that was nearing completion by then and up into the Postern. It was there that they paused to consider if Leon really would be in Ansem's study and the computer room and decided that since they'd come that far already, they should probably go all the way before they moved to search another part of the city.

It was then that they found the elusive brunet's phone. Or what was left of it anyway. It had been dashed to pieces on the ground and bits of it had been scattered across the postern, glinting innocently in the dying light of day as the sun's last rays of light began to make way for the blanket of darkness. Cloud bent to pick up the largest chunk of phone that was left over but more of it fell apart even as he did so, thus informing him of how it would be impossible to restore.

The heavy silence that had fallen over them since they'd started looking was broken by the ninja who seemed to tire of the gloomy atmosphere and saw the broken phone not as an indication of something terrible having happened but as confirmation that the missing male was fine. She didn't seem deterred by the small puddle of blood near the castle wall either, already thinking that he'd probably cut himself with one of his tools since injuries like that were common when working on restoration, handling heavy equipment, sharp debris and other such dangerous materials.

"So that's why he wasn't picking up! He probably just dropped it while he was working on repairs or something; you know how careless he can be when it comes to his own wellbeing. He's probably somewhere inside the castle working his little leather-clad ass off having lost track of time." She reasoned, beaming cheerfully and already moving towards the slope that led down to the door into the lower corridors.

Cid stepped up to check on the blood, presumably to see if it was fresh or not and felt a drip land on his cheek. "Better get a move on 'less we wanna get caught in that bigass fuckin' storm, it's already rainin'." The mechanic groused, only to get a strange look from Cloud who pointed beyond the postern to the sky.

"The rain's not going to hit for another hour at least." Came the softly spoken words of the blond swordsman. That was when Aerith turned to look at the gruff mechanic and her hand immediately went to cover her mouth, her emerald eyes wide.

"That's not rain Cid." Tifa intoned from where she was stood, watching out of the corner of her eye as Yuffie returned from 

where she'd gone on ahead, to see what was taking them all so long. Collectively they looked up even as another drop splashed onto the oldest committee member's cheek; lower this time, sliding down to his jaw and then dripping down to the floor.

There, hair and feathered collar blowing in the gentle wind, was the brunet gunblader.

He was impaled through the shoulder on a piece of scaffolding, or piping protruding from the structure of the castle, his head bowed and resting on his collarbone, eyes closed. From where they were stood upon the ground beneath him, it was impossible to tell whether or not he was still breathing. It looked as though he had suffered more than just his impalement though, as there were rips in his shirt, jacket and pants, all of which were lined with blood. His ruined shoulder was the source of the puddle of blood on the floor, the crimson liquid having dribbled down his arm and it was dripping from the tips of his fingers as his arms hung limply at his side.

It was a morbid sight to behold and none of the group gathered in the postern had any idea how he'd come to be in such a state, let alone suspended so high in the air.

It was Cloud who got him down, spreading that demonic wing of his and flying up to remove the stricken gunblader from his place, hung like a mockery of a flag from the castle's walls.

It turned out that Leon was indeed still alive, barely but he certainly wasn't conscious and he made no movement, nor sound even as his fellow warrior lowered him to the ground as gently as he could, his wing disappearing completely. It was then that they could catalogue his injuries and heal him as best they could but the sheer number and severity of his wounds shocked them all. It was a miracle that he was still alive and Aerith ensured his continued survival, at least for the time being with some much needed healing magic.

His body bathed in a soft green glow, Yuffie watched in horror as some of the terrible wounds were closed on the leader's body. She watched as Cid wiped the brunet's blood from his cheek and watched Cloud gather the limp body into his arms but she could do nothing but follow the movement of the other committee members while she remained rooted to the spot. It was only when Tifa rested a hand on her shoulder that she snapped out of her daze and looked to the martial artist with tears in her eyes. Tifa assured her that Leon would be okay, but Yuffie couldn't believe that someone would do such horrendous things to another person. However, with Tifa gently guiding her, she followed the others back along the pathways towards the house the males were staying in.

Cid let them in, unlocking the front door and allowing the girls entrance into the slightly untidy house. The mechanic allowed Cloud and Aerith upstairs to tend to the wounded brunet but barred the way for Tifa and Yuffie, both of whom exploded with protests, wanting to see the injured male.

"Let the poor man rest." The man ordered, bodily hauling the kicking ninja to a chair and setting her down. Minutes passed slowly, Tifa pacing the floor, Yuffie squirming in the chair and Cid stood barring the staircase. Silence reigned in the lounge as they all waited for news of their reluctant leader's condition and at last, Aerith descended the stairs, her hands clasped gently in front of her.

"He's not awoken yet." She began softly. "But Cloud has agreed to stay with him until he does. Cid, will you take it in turns with him to watch over Leon?" She asked, settling her worried gaze on the only male in the room. When she received a nod and a gruff affirmative, she turned to the two females and bowed her head a little. "It's best if we give him some space. I'm sure the boys will let us know as soon as Leon awakens."

Reluctantly the pair whom Aerith was addressing nodded their assent and got to their feet. Yuffie in particular wanted to go and see the brunet whom she considered to be one of her closest friends, but she had to agree that waking up to a room full of people was not something she expected Leon to appreciate. It was in silence that they left the house, Cid simply waving them off without a word.

It was two days later that the girls received word that Leon had finally awoken but when they went to visit him, he refused to speak of what had caused his horrendous wounds and remained mostly silent for the entire time he was forced to endure their company. They'd come so close to losing him and yet he didn't seem to care, preferring things to go right back to the way they were. It resulted in Aerith getting angry, something that happened extremely rarely, and no matter how much she demanded that the man speak, even just to greet them, the stoic gunblader said nothing, simply turned his head away.

His callous behaviour reduced Aerith to tears and put him at odds with everyone. He could see the disapproval in Cid's hard gaze and Yuffie had been stunned by his blatant refusal to talk to any of them. It was as though he'd reverted right back to how withdrawn and introverted he'd been after they'd found him nine years after the fall of their home. The only words they'd managed to pry from him were those of thanks for rescuing him, but even they had been forced and hardly meaningful.

As soon as he could be, he was out of bed and returning to work though naturally, his injuries still pained him. He could occasionally be caught scratching at or holding onto his left shoulder, where the piping had pierced his body, while he worked and it was obvious to everyone that although the wounds were closed and healed over, the afflicted areas still troubled him, there was only so much a number of healing spells could do after all. However, Leon never complained of the pain and never took a break to ease the injured areas; so for all intents and purposes, everything certainly was back to normal, or as normal as they could be when their leader made himself more scarce than usual and never communicated with them.

Only Leon knew what happened that dreadful day, but little did he know that someone was determined to find out, someone who had similar inclinations towards single-mindedness, who's entirely neutral opinion of the brunet had been called into question after seeing him come so close to death.


	2. Heat

A/N: Sorry for the time it took to get this up. I don't really update regularly, rather, I write when the fancy strikes me and when I have a number of roleplays to consider on top of working on this, I tend to take ages to motivate myself to update. However, chapter two is now up. Obviously. Anyone have any ideas for who the unknown attacker is? x3

Secrets and Lies  
Chapter Two  
Heat

It was another particularly hot day when a certain blond swordsman found himself in the marketplace. Apparently, he'd subconsciously decided that a frozen treat was in order to combat the heat. Unfortunately, everyone and their neighbour seemed to have had the same idea and as a result, the small market square was absolutely heaving with people. Scrooge was probably rolling in money. Or he would be once he'd finished robbing everyone with his grossly inflated prices. He doubted that anyone particularly cared how much it cost right then, so long as they could find some kind of relief from the heat.

To his surprise, the brunet gunblader seemed to have been drawn to the marketplace also; maybe the potential reprieve from the heat had lured him to the area too. But, upon closer inspection, the older swordsman was holding what appeared to be bottled water, not a sea-salty iced treat.

It wasn't the fact that Leon had probably done the smart thing by choosing water over an ice lolly, and done the cheaper thing too, but the simple fact that the brunet was in such a public place. Cloud knew that if Leon wanted to remain undetected then the townspeople would never give him away but the man wasn't even trying to remain concealed in the shadows cast by the shops around them. This was unusual because for the last few days, since he'd recovered, he'd been making himself scarce and nobody had seen much of him at all.

It hadn't even been a week since they'd found the reluctant leader hung by his shoulder and the memory was as fresh as ever. Cloud had returned to the site once, while Leon was recovering, to see if he could find any clues as to how the gunblader had managed to wind up as high and as hurt as he had been, but there had been nothing at all to give away who was behind the terrible deed. When it had happened, even though he'd remained as calm as ever on the outside, inside, his stomach had turned at the sight and he had to wonder if that was what he had looked like each and every time Sephiroth had done the same to him with Masamune.

However, as soon as he could walk again, Leon had left their shared house and nobody really saw him. He still came home, that much was obvious from the clean dish and cup on the drainer every morning from the man's customary bowl of cornflakes and cup of black coffee, but he seemed to be making it a point to get up ridiculously early, earlier than his normal six thirty routine, and get home well into the early hours of the morning to avoid everyone. He must be lucky to get even four hours sleep a night. If Aerith found out about his sleeping habits, she would throw a fit. She was worried enough about the stoic leader's health without adding lack of sleep to the mix. He still didn't have a new mobile phone either, so he couldn't be reached while he was out, putting the poor woman even more ill at ease.

But there he was, leaning comfortably against the wall, one booted foot braced against it, arms folded as usual, head bowed just enough for it to appear as though he didn't much care about the goings on around him. That was when his purpose became apparent. Even though it meant risking an encounter with the people he called friends, he was watching over the townspeople as they bought their sea salt ice creams to make sure no fights started. With the heat as it was, people were prone to short tempers and with so many people all wanting the same thing, he supposed it was only a matter of time before someone with a short fuse grew tired of waiting in the sun, or got pushed one too many times as everyone jostled for a good position amongst the masses of people wanting refreshment. With Leon's presence nearby, order would be kept.

It was the perfect opportunity to confront the man about a few things. The first of which was going to be who hung him from the castle wall. He didn't expect an answer but it was worth a try. He'd convinced himself that he wanted to know so that he could inform Aerith and the rest of the committee and they could decide what to do and how to tackle the problem of the currently unknown assailant, he didn't want to find out what had happened out of any kind of care or concern for the man.

Some emotion flickered across the brunet's face when their eyes met and it looked suspiciously negative before his neutral expression returned. Cloud thought nothing of it since the gunblader had already made it quite clear that he wasn't interested in the company of others, and continued making his way over to the formerly elusive brunet, watching as Leon pushed off the wall and straightened up almost defensively, leaving his arms folded, though a subtle twitch of his fingers betrayed his desire to have his weapon in hand.

Perhaps Cloud should have thought about what he was going to ask the man, besides about the incident involving at the castle walls, before he approached.

"Leon." The blond greeted with a small nod. He got nothing but an equally small nod in return.

"I thought you'd be out finishing the repairs on the outer edge of Radiant Garden. Or is that where you've been lately anyway?" He asked almost flatly, feigning disinterest. For some reason, Leon seemed to need to consider his reply and when he did finally reply, Cloud almost missed it as his attention had wandered to the man's appearance. Leon had shadows beneath his eyes and his hair seemed more limp and dull than it normally was but he called his observation to a halt when he realised that the man was answering his question.

"I haven't finished working on the castle." The gunblader replied, scowling. "I'm not here for long, just until the people disperse." He explained, removing his gaze from the blond and directing it to the masses of people still milling around in the centre square, some with ice creams, some without. Already the number of people had decreased, cheering a few of the still queuing people who had been stuck in the heat for far too long already. With his mission apparently accomplished, since the crowd had begun to dwindle, and with a possibility of escaping Cloud, Leon made his move, arms falling to his sides as he brushed past Cloud and began heading in the general direction of the castle. Cloud fell into step beside him, ignorant of the strange look the gunblader sent in his direction.

"I was wondering if you felt like talking about what happened at the castle a few days back. Everyone's been worried about you; you should talk to the others." He announced, ignoring how Leon's lips had thinned to a firm line while he spoke.

"The others shouldn't worry about me, I'm fine. I can deal with this on my own." He informed the blond and Cloud felt strangely as though it was his help was being denied, not just help in general, or concern for that matter. However, if this new threat was anything like Sephiroth had been, Cloud knew for certain that it would be something Leon couldn't handle on his own no matter how much he might want to.

Even if Leon hated him for it, he would find a way to help him even if it was only a small way. That was what warriors, friends, did for each other, right?

"So what did happen at the castle then?" Cloud tried again, determined to get some sort of answer for the question, when the gunblader completely ignored the question though, the blond gave up for the time being and instead changed his line of questioning, or rather, made a demand. "Before you go and disappear again, I want you to know that we're sparring, tonight at the Dark Depths." And with that, Cloud turned on his heel and started back the way he came, going to get that ice cream he'd forgone earlier, leaving Leon to carry on towards the castle.

Cloud spent the rest of the day preparing for their spar, just knowing that Leon was going to be there. He'd never turn down a chance to hone his skills and the blond knew just how much it meant to Leon to be strong, to be prepared for anything. The brunet wasn't exactly very predictable but there were some things that were almost guaranteed to catch the man's attention. What he wasn't prepared for though was the man's reluctance to be there, rolling off him in waves once the time arrived for their spar.

It was dark out by then, not only so that it was cooler but also to heighten the thrill of the fight, having limited visibility and all but even in the gloom, it was easy to see how drawn the other's feature's were, how tense he appeared and the blond didn't understand why the man was so against their spar, they'd never had any problems doing so before. He'd turned up though, so whatever was on his mind couldn't be so bad as to stop him coming at all, though he had a nasty feeling that this spar wouldn't be as fulfilling as past ones had been if Leon was going to as distracted during the fighting as he appeared to be already.

The fight turned out to be short and unsatisfying.

While Leon was still better than some swordsmen the blond had come across in his time, he was off his game by far that evening. His only noteworthy attack was rather sly, he had to admit, but it wasn't followed up by anything particularly threatening. The crafty, albeit distracted brunet had let off a fire spell at close range, not to cause damage but to temporarily blind him. However, Leon had only offered a few lazy swings in the opening he'd created for himself, attacks that the blond could have blocked in his sleep.

It was ended through the brunet's carelessness and inattentiveness as he failed to dodge an attack directed at his midsection. He avoided serious injury but still received a nasty slice into his side that immediately splattered blood to the floor and stained the shirt he was wearing. Fearing that he'd seriously hurt the brunet, Cloud immediately approached, already searching his person for potions or healing magic and although he wasn't surprised to find nothing of the healing variety on him, he still felt the pang of regret for not coming prepared, and for hurting the man in the first place even if it hadn't been his fault.

It had troubled him some during the day, the fact that he was more concerned for the brunet than he might otherwise have expected but he supposed, or rather hoped, that everybody who knew the man had become much more attentive towards him since the incident less than a week earlier. He'd been wracking his brain as much as anyone to try and identify the attacker whom the brunet refused to reveal but he had yet to even come up with an idea, let alone an accurate prediction. He had to wonder at that too. He didn't understand why Leon refused to give up the assailant's name, didn't understand why Leon would protect the person who had hurt him so badly. He knew the man wanted to deal with it himself, but going so far as to conceal the culprit's identity seemed foolish and dangerous.

Rather than dwell on it, he concentrated on the situation at hand and crouched close beside the injured gunblader.

At first, Leon tried push him away, using his own healing magic to tend to the thin but fairly deep wound in his side but after the blond swordsman leaned in to make sure Leon had tended the wound properly, not just half healed it and left the wound open since he had a tendency to neglect himself, both men froze when their lips brushed as Cloud drew back from his inspection.

Leon's eyes went wide in surprise before they narrowed and darkened, informing the blond of how the walls around the gunblader had slammed back into place. However, as Cloud watched those defences lock into place once more, he found himself leaning in and claiming the brunet's lips once again.

Leon remained unresponsive for a full thirty seconds before his lips moved tentatively against Cloud's own and they shared a brief but deep kiss.

It was after Cloud began to take their intimacy to the next level that things began to take a turn for the worse.

Unexpectedly, their contact was beginning to get rather heated as Cloud's hands slipped beneath the fabric of the brunet's shirt and he was pleased to pry a shaky sigh from the stoic gunblader with his action. The brunet had showed no signs of discomfort with their positioning, even encouraging the blond to settle more comfortably upon him and raising his arms to grip his sparring partner's hips which Cloud found pleasing as it meant that he wasn't the only one who seemed to want to go further already than simple kisses.

He wasn't sure what had come over him but being so close to the brunet was intoxicating, driving all rational thought from his mind. All he knew was that he wanted the gunblader and he wanted him right then, Gaia damn the consequences.

All he could see was the man laid out beneath him, shirt riding up just enough to expose a teasing glimpse of toned stomach. He could see those blue/grey eyes smouldering with a mix of lust and some other primitive emotion that he was powerless to resist. He could taste the man's breath, smell the man's cologne and feel the heat growing between them.

He had the gunblader's shirt over his head and tangled around his arms to keep them in place when his awareness suddenly faded and he knew no more.


	3. Making Mistakes

**A/N: **I apologise profusely for the time it took to get this chapter up. Writing this chapter was about as easy as pulling teeth from a bird's beak. It started off alright but the ending just did not want to be written and so I apologise even more for how bad this chapter gets as it progresses. Hopefully the next chapter will be smoother, easier to write and move things along a bit. Again, I'm sorry, but I hope the chapter isn't too bad. Don't hold your breath for the next one though, I lost my notes on where I was going to take this fic so I need to get thinking again. Anyway, enough of me rambling, here's the chapter.

**Warning: **Semi explicit (I don't think it's completely explicit at least) yaoi in this chapter. Also, mild gore at the beginning.

Secrets and Lies  
Chapter Three  
Making Mistakes

Perhaps he should have known it would happen. Being kissed by the blond was too good to be true for the likes of him. He should have known better than to let his guard down. He should have known there'd be a catch. He simply should have known better. As a direct result of allowing himself to be lulled into a false sense of security, it had happened again. Granted, the second time he hadn't been lifted and impaled upon a protruding piece of piping, but he couldn't really say that having his own gunblade plunged through the opposite shoulder while he bled out from a nasty gash across his abdomen was a whole lot better. If he was going to be honest with himself, he was surprised that his intestines hadn't come spilling out of the wound, it was so deep.

In this particular instance though, he'd had some healing magic on him, since he wasn't going to make the same mistake twice, and once his assailant had gone, leaving him pinned to one of the surrounding cliffs by the formerly undamaged shoulder, he'd exerted all his energy in getting the blade out of its fleshy sheath. Minutes had passed in agony as he strained the muscles in his free arm to pull free the gunblade that was embedded deeply in the rock behind him after passing smoothly through the flesh and bone of his shoulder. Every motion seemed to aggravate both rather serious wounds and since he had to wiggle the weapon to dislodge it from the rock face, white hot, fiery pain lanced across his body in every direction, making black starbursts appear with frightening regularity in front of his eyes.

Eventually, he'd managed to pull the blade free of his shoulder, blood immediately spilling from the wound to further stain his white shirt even as he dropped the few feet to the ground from where he'd been suspended. Crimson blood splashed to the ground as he immediately pressed his hand to thin but deep wound, his chest heaving for breath and teeth gritted against the pain.

With a mutter of 'Cura', the wound knitted itself closed, as did the wide one across the taut muscles of his abdomen, flesh and muscle melding back together, bone realigning and practically gluing itself back together. Such were the wonders of magic and although the process itself was uncomfortable, feeling his body heal itself at an unnatural rate, he owed his life to the various healing magics and potions.

Once the wounds were closed, he tested the shoulder to find it extremely tender but usable and would definitely be able to support the weight of his tools as long as he was careful. The last thing he wanted was the others wondering why in the hells he was only using one arm to work, or wasn't working at all, and then fussing over him when they found that he was injured. After the last time, they'd almost implemented a buddy system before Cid demanded that they were both old enough to look after themselves and needn't go around with someone holding their hand. Leon had quietly agreed and thankfully, albeit apparently reluctantly, the topic had been dropped. If they caught wind of how he'd been attacked a second time, by the same person no less, they'd likely do something drastic to keep an eye on him.

He sat there, partially slumped against the bloodstained wall of the cliff he'd been pinned to, until he felt it safe to stand without pulling on the sore muscles and repaired skin of his abdomen.

It was then that he noticed just how much of a state he was in and an aggravated sigh left his lips as he dragged a shaking hand through his hair. Despite having used the magic, his body still ached with every move he made and that last thing he wanted was to have to worry about how his shirt was ripped and bloody on top of trying to move as naturally as possible should he be seen by any of the committee members. If they saw the state he was in, granted it wasn't as bad as last time, they'd still make a beeline for him and pester him until he told them something to shut them up. He appreciated that they were his friends but sometimes he felt smothered by their attention and concern for him.

He took stock of his surroundings for a moment and tried for another moment to think of the quickest way back to the house he shared with the others. If he didn't want to get caught, he'd have to take the back route and hope to Hyne that nobody was in the house when he got back there. Both Cid and Cloud knew better than to poke their nose where it didn't belong, or at least Cid did, but he didn't want to rouse their curiosity or have them alert the girls as to what they'd seen.

With his route planned and hoping that everybody was at work, Leon began making his way back to the house.

It was unusual but not worrying that he came across practically no-one while he made his way back to the shared house. Beside the few townsfolk on the way to or from their homes, he came across nobody of interest but it was still some relief to see their house not too far away and nobody nearby. He had no way of telling just yet, if anyone was inside but at least he'd made it back without attracting any unwanted attention. He could only hope that everyone was out doing their jobs and not at the house for whatever reason.

Minutes later, the gunblader was turning the key in the lock and pushing open the door to the house. It was dim inside as a result of the curtains being closed which was definitely unusual since he'd opened them himself that morning. Since he had no idea why the curtains would be closed, he wondered if maybe Yuffie had been around and played a prank, or she was watching a movie in their lounge since she hated watching movies with the glare of light on the tv, had no tolerance for it. It was unexpected yes, but no cause for concern and so the brunet had no reason to be suspicious as he closed the front door behind 

him and strode along the small corridor towards the lounge.

When he stepped clear of the end of the corridor, he found Cloud sat in the armchair, one leg crossed over the other, arms folded and a malicious glint in his eye.

Leon froze.

"You really thought I would let you get away with that?" The blond sneered, pushing himself from his seated position with unnatural ease and seemingly gliding towards the brunet who had gone rigid in place. "It was smart, I'll give you that, but perhaps you should have waited a little longer before healing yourself. Pity you did really, you look so good in red." He chuckled darkly, stopping inches from the gunblader who hadn't moved a muscle. A finger hooked into the ruined t-shirt, the crimson liquid still drying and the finger came away darkened with blood from wounds that had long since healed over.

There was no point fighting it. Leon knew it already. He could stand a chance against Cloud in a fair fight, a battle of weapons or fists, but this wasn't Cloud. This was something dark, something powerful that he hadn't the strength of light to fight with any hopes of winning. So it was without moving that he watched the blond approach him like a predator advancing on its prey, grey eyes almost blank as Cloud's words washed over him. He stiffened noticeably when the finger touched his blood-dampened shirt and only bowed his head a little as the swordsman circled him once and stopped in front of him once more. Wordlessly, Leon remained in place, an unusually submissive air about him, replacing his usual quiet confidence. Cloud's presence in the house had been unexpected and he had no defence against him.

The blond knew he would get little in the way of a reaction from the gunblader and he couldn't deny being disappointed by this knowledge since it was so much more interesting when the man tried to put up a fight, but Leon didn't know what he was going to do yet and so he held out for some attempts at resistance once his intentions became clear. A cruel smile spread over his lips as he stopped before the male and advanced once more, backing the brunet up against the wall and pinning him there with his arms. To his amusement, that was all it took before Leon seemed to understand what was about to happen to him and the colour drained from his cheeks.

Leon's arms came up to press against the blond's chest and with the wall behind him as a brace he pushed Cloud back a few steps, realising as soon as he did so that the blond was allowing him to do so.

A split-second later and Cloud had brought his own arms up and between the brunet's arms, forcing them apart and allowing him to surge forward with some strength and slam Leon back against the wall. The brunet fought back, directing a jab at the blond's chest in an attempt at winding him and hooking his foot around Cloud's in a valiant attempt at throwing the man off balance but the swordsman was having none of it and although he took a step back to retain his balance, he still backhanded the brunet hard enough to daze him.

Leon's head spun at the blow, allowing his assailant to pin him firmly to the wall once more. Struggling against the blond as the man pressed against him, moulding their bodies together, Leon turned his head away and stared off to the side, pointedly ignoring the glowing green/blue eyes boring holes into the side of his head.

He'd never really thought about it before, only assumed the man was being rather overdramatic about it but perhaps this had been something Cloud had been trying to warn them about from the very beginning, only now the darkness he claimed was within him had almost taken on a mind of its own, manipulating the blond who seemed to have no memory of any of it once the darkness had receded once more. He wasn't going to pretend that he understood how it worked but he hoped that someone would be able to do something to dispel the darkness from within Cloud permanently. Perhaps he should consider enlisting the help of the keybearer. Cloud's heart was pure, he was sure of it, maybe all he needed was someone to help him push past the darkness he had succumbed to to survive so that the light in his heart could overpower the darkness once and for all. That was his theory anyway.

Once thing was for certain though, if Cloud later found out , once he regained his right mind, about what he was undoubtedly about to do, then it would be a lot harder to convince him of the light of his heart.

A knee was prudently placed between the gunblader's thighs while the Cloud literally ripped free the remains of the ruined shirt from his prey's chest and kept the man pinned in place using his body and his hands bound above his head using one of the gunblader's own belts which bit just slightly into the man's wrists. Those wrists would be chafed and bleeding by the time Cloud was done with him, of that he was certain.

As soon as the brunet's hands were bound above his head, his nimble fingers went to work on the single belt that held up the male's pants since he wasn't interested in wasting time with the removal of the other, both practical and decorative belts and before long, Cloud was pushing the pants off the brunet's hips and a slender brow rose up into his hairline even as a dusting of pink appeared across the other's cheeks. It wasn't exactly unexpected that Leon wasn't wearing anything beneath those tight leather pants of his, but it was still a bit of a shock to actually have everyone's suspicions confirmed. "So the rumours are true." The blond sneered, stroking lightly over an exposed thigh and delighting in the slight shift of the area as the muscles tensed beneath his fingertips.

Leon was stood there, shirtless, pants around his ankles, exposed to the blond's scrutiny and there wasn't a damn thing he could do about it. There were still faint marks from the latest inflicted wounds amongst the scattered scars that decorated the muscled chest and they were sore, but it was the knowledge of what Cloud was about to do that kept him from fighting back. He knew that if he just let it happen then the damage he was likely to take would be far less and the chance to deprive Cloud of the fight he obviously wanted would be a small way of getting back at the man for taking what he wanted.

Since Leon wasn't fighting back, to the blond's disappointment, Cloud thought it safe to leave the brunet where he was and reached down between them to the clasp of his own pants which he undid in no rush, pushing his own pants and accompanying boxers down to expose his already half hard length. Still there was no resistance from the brunet who was only looking blankly to the side as if he wasn't really there. It angered the blond who growled in annoyance and slicked up his fingers using a small amount of scented oil, something that had been more down to it being close at hand rather than any care for the brunet. If the oil hadn't been there, he would have been more than happy to just use saliva.

He didn't wait for any kind of reaction from Leon, didn't wait for the brunet to protest or fight it, Cloud simply reached down, teasingly brushing past limp length and balls to push a finger inside.

Leon didn't like it at all and squirmed against the wall, trying to get away from the probing finger but he had nowhere to go and Cloud wasn't backing off. Hissing through his teeth and clenching his eyes shut so that he didn't have to see the expression on the blond's face, he felt that first finger slip inside him and bit his lip to silence himself. It wasn't painful, only uncomfortable but it was something unwelcome regardless of how it felt.

Cloud chuckled darkly as he prepared the brunet without care for the man's comfort. He didn't want it to be completely painful but he didn't much care if Leon got any pleasure out of it either. This was a show of dominance, a blatant refusal to allow Leon to think that he could escape Cloud and the things he inflicted upon the man.

After smearing the oil across his erect cock, noting that Leon was just about showing signs of arousal, he grabbed one of the gunblader's legs, gripping the back of the knee and tugged it up to rest on his hip to give him better access. He slid in easily, not pausing until he was buried right up to the base of his length and he smirked at the sounds of discomfort the brunet couldn't help but release to the cool air of the lounge. Since the curtains were closed and the others at work, there was no-one around to help the scarred gunblader which meant that Cloud could take his time if he so wished.

He didn't take his time though, thrusting shallowly but fast, hips rocking back and forth, the brunet's back thudding against the wall with each movement. To his annoyance Leon had been very quiet throughout, considering what he was having to endure, letting only the occasional noise of discomfort past his lips but it wasn't unexpected and Cloud took what he wanted without particularly paying attention to whether Leon was enjoying it or not.

Leon gave no resistance throughout the assault, his eyes blank, as though he had withdrawn from his body and locked himself away in his head. The thought that it was almost as though he was fucking a doll very nearly made the blond recoil and drop the brunet who would have crumpled to the floor no doubt. He made sure the brunet was still with him by delivering a hard slap across the man's face and watching as those blank grey eyes gained some focus and a pretty red mark appeared on the abused cheek.

Only when Cloud was satisfied did he finally leave.

The brunet was left crumpled against the wall with his pants around his ankles but he didn't move until he was certain Cloud had gone. At least the belt had been removed from his wrists which were sore and chafed raw. Once he was sure he was alone, the scarred brunet moaned in pain as he gained his feet, stepping out of his pants and trudging up to the bathroom for a shower so that he might feel clean again. It wasn't long after he'd locked the bathroom door behind him that his friends proclaimed their entrance with a yell of 'Hi Leon!' that sounded distinctly like Yuffie.

After spending a good half hour in the shower and retreating to his room for fresh clothes, the brunet decided that since he was unhurt and no longer bore the signs of another attack, since his bloodied clothes were in his laundry basket to be washed, he would get something to eat. It was almost as though the gunblader was miles away with the way he seemed to be going about on autopilot, not paying much attention to anything as he went about his business although he walked with a pronounced limp, even though he tried to hide it, aware enough of that it seemed, if nothing else.

Three times he almost cut his hand open while making himself a sandwich, he was so distant. The third time he nearly sliced into his hand resolved to get a grip on himself. Cloud had raped him and he had to move on or else the bastard blond would think he'd broken him.

He wasn't expecting to see the aforementioned blond in the lounge as he went through to return to his room.

Their eyes met.

**A/N:** So, some of you got it almost spot on, good on ya. I'll reward you all with a better chapter.


	4. In Darkness

(A/N: Sorry for the huge delay, this chapter really didn't want to be written but it's finally here. Many many thanks to all my reviewers, you guys are awesome and it's because of you that I finally buckled down and finished writing this chapter. There's only one more chapter after this and hopefully it won't take nearly as long as this one did. Anyway, hope you enjoy and sorry again for the delay.)

Secrets and Lies  
Chapter Four  
Of Darkness

The world seemed to come to a complete and total stop as soon as their eyes met across the room. The sound of Yuffie prattling on about something or other seemed to fade away, as did Cid's grumbles about the ninja being too damn loud and it wasn't hard for that alone to drown out the sound of Aerith's gentle insistence that Yuffie calm down without everything fading into an odd background drone as the world narrowed down to the two men staring at each other.

"Were you limping just then Leon? Seriously, what did you do? It must be pretty bad for a tough guy like you to be limping." And Yuffie's hearty slap on the back jolted him out of the moment.

Leon blinked to clear his vision and gradually became aware of how the low hum of surrounding chatter had silenced, and everyone was staring at him. Never mind that Cloud had been ignoring everyone as much as Leon had himself, apparently it only mattered that Leon wasn't saying anything.

"I had an accident." Was all he said, and seemed happy to leave it at that. They needn't know how he'd almost cut his hand open while he was making himself a sandwich after having been raped by the very man sat in their midst. Cloud was still dark, he could feel it, as though the blond was radiating darkness, and he wondered at why none of the others seemed to notice. He watched as, seemingly in slow motion, a smug smirk spread across the blond's lips.

He was distracted from the sight Cloud presented by Yuffie again and that was when his secret began to unravel.

"Leon? What have you done to your wrists? They've been rubbed raw!" The ninja announced, drawing everyone's attention to areas that were a sore and angry red. She grabbed one of his arms and held it up to see the affected area better, thus letting Aerith and Cid see the marks left by his own belt. "What did you do? How did you get marks like these on your wrists? They're like rope burns almost." She went on, and Aerith mumbled a small cure spell, watching as the area that had been aggravated by his struggles was healed until the redness had gone.

What was he supposed to say? He couldn't admit to having had his belt securing his wrists while Cloud raped him and there was no way to explain such marks besides admitting to some overly rough sex and he wasn't doing that or else he'd have to admit to a number of other things, including who he was with, how long they'd supposedly been together, and knowing Yuffie, who was on top, what toys they'd used and if she could tape the next encounter.

"It's nothing, I did it while I was working." He announced dismissively, and he knew as soon as he'd said it that he was only drawing yet more unwanted attention to it. That he wouldn't tell them how it happened was suspicious enough, but the serious way it was said kept even Yuffie from making the assumption that it had happened during some kind of secret romantic (or not so romantic) liaison. Even Cid, who normally defended the brunet when his safety was called into question, seemed reluctant to speak up and just get the girls to leave him alone, and that could only mean that Cid was as concerned as everyone else.

Everyone bar Cloud, that was.

The blond swordsman was still sat in his chair, but the smug smirk had widened and he looked well pleased with the situation he'd brought upon the gunblader who had been careless enough to draw attention to himself even after he went into all that effort to heal himself after the attack and hide the bloodied clothes so as not to arouse the suspicion of the rest of the committee.

It was in that moment that Leon wondered if they'd ever be able to get the Cloud of old back. With the blond sat there, exuding darkness as he was, it was as though the dark-Cloud had taken the place of the Cloud they knew and loved, replaced him.

If that were the case, then what was to become of him? There would be only so many times that the Cloud of darkness could mingle with the committee before they too would start to notice that the blond wasn't exactly acting like himself. So what would happen then? Would that be the line between them, the mark that separated them as enemies? Would they be forced to take a stand against the one they had called a friend for so long already, who they'd watch struggle with his darkness for such a long time? Had Cloud finally lost the fight against his darkness, succumbing to the shadow and becoming what he tried so hard to defeat?

A moment later and the answer was presented to him in the form of the swordsman coming to his aid.

"I saw it happen. There was some construction material that fell, trapping his wrists." He explained as though such a thing had really happened. "They're chafed all the way around because he was smart enough to try and twist them free."

So there was some humanity in the blond yet. The smug smirk was gone from his lips and he no longer exuded that almost tangible aura of darkness.

What threw the gunblader completely was that Cloud had defended him at all. That he'd come up with a passable story that the others seemed to actually accept was secondary to the knowledge of the fact that the blond male shouldn't have been able to see his wrists from where he was sat. Also, from what he'd been able to tell, Cloud had had no knowledge of what happened when the darkness seemed to take control. His confusion must have shown on his face because Cloud was looking at him with an expression of apology mixed with so much guilt it might have been painful for someone else to see.

Leon turned on his heel and left the house with a calm he didn't feel.

-x-

Yuffie let out a noise that sounded much akin to a squawk of denial as the gunblader just walked out without another word. She wanted details no doubt, after all, Leon was rarely careless enough to allow himself to receive an injury at all, let alone while at work on restoration. Somehow he even managed to avoid those commonplace injuries such as smashed fingers and thumbs while using hammers, bruised butts and backs from falling off ladders and shredded shins obtained by knocking into carelessly strewn construction equipment.

Still, Cloud's account was plausible and none argued against it, though with the brunet having walked out, most attention turned to the blond for an account of how the accident happened.

Talking to the others was the last thing he wanted to do when he [i]needed[/i] to catch up to Leon who was undoubtedly getting further and further away, literally and metaphorically, with each passing second.

He owed Leon one hell of an explanation and he knew that if he couldn't catch up to the man right then, it was highly likely that he wouldn't cross paths with the man again. He already knew that when Leon didn't want to be found, he could make himself scarce better than anyone. And oddly enough, things still managed to get done.

He knew his time was short. He couldn't delude himself into thinking that he had control for very long. The darkness inside him that usually manifested into Sephiroth seemed to have found a much better way to tether the blond to the darkness and that was to take him over, as though the darkness itself had some kind of sentience to it. Considering that it could gain corporeal form, from the simple shadows to the complexity of Xehanort's heartless or Sephiroth, it clearly harboured some kind of consciousness or something, somehow. He wasn't even going to pretend to understand the details and specifics of how darkness could gain form and instincts and the like.

All that mattered was that he had to tell Leon what was happening, apologise for what he'd done, before it was too late. He loved Leon, he knew that, but Leon wouldn't be able to see that under the thick layer of darkness he knew to be there. He had to try though, he had to try to make the gunblader understand what had happened before the darkness engulfed him completely and he became as Sephiroth was. Darkness incarnate, a man twisted beyond recognition by the uncanny power of the shadow.

He wanted one more kiss from the man, one more that wasn't tainted by the darkness. A simple kiss that would let the gunblader know that he had never intended for him to get hurt, that his intentions had been pure until the darkness claimed him.

That even a being of darkness could still love, should one so choose to.

It was a concept that both men would shy away from, scoff and dismiss it as a pointless, feminine notion that was a waste of their time under normal circumstances. Leon would insist that he had no time for such frivolous ideas and emotions to begin with. A city was built with devotion and the sweat of a man's efforts, not with love and other such whimsical nonsense. Attraction was a different matter entirely and Cloud was almost certain that they were both attracted to each other.

Which was probably why his rape of the brunet must have been hurting him all the more. That was all the more reason to go after him, though what he'd say was anyone's guess right then.

It was too soon to be tossing around the word 'love' and Leon most certainly wouldn't believe him should he be told but it was all he had to cling to, to prolong that time he had as himself. That even when the darkness took him completely, because it was only a matter of time, he'd still be capable of loving the man even if they weren't together, even if he couldn't show it, even if Leon didn't accept it, even if the gunblader didn't want the love of the beast Cloud was to become.

So when he looked up at the girls who were looking at him with concern and asking him if he was alright, rather than reassure them, inform them that he was fine and that he'd simply gotten lost in his thoughts, he surged to his feet, making the young ninja stumble back in surprise and in moments the sound of the door slamming closed echoed through the house.

He got no further than that before he had to pause.

Where in the name of Kingdom Hearts, would the gunblader have hidden?

He wouldn't have gone to his usual spots, since they were too obvious, unless that was what he'd wanted everyone to think and so gone there to hide in plain sight. No, that didn't feel right. Leon would have gone to the last place that anyone would expect him to go, the only problem being that the blond male had no idea where that place might be. For all he knew, his logic was all wrong and the gunblader would have just gone for a walk around the block and he'd be back in the house within minutes while Cloud wasted time looking in the outer reaches of the growing city.

With a frustrated sigh, the blond swordsman picked a direction at random and struck off in search of the scarred male.

-x-

From atop the roof of the house Cloud had just emerged from, a pair of sharp grey eyes tracked the man's movement.

He was crouched on the slanted roof, partially obscured by the chimney stack and had gained the perfect vantage point simply by climbing the ladder that was propped against the side of the house. It had been left over from when he had patched up a hole in the roof and had provided the perfect escape route. Cloud was too narrow minded. He'd never think to look up rather than ahead of him, which meant that unless the blond chanced a glance if he came back to the house, he was safe.

The only problem being that he wanted to confront the blond about what he knew and why he'd done what he had. He couldn't have a confrontation with the man when said man was walking away and he was on a roof. At the same time, a confrontation was something he wanted to avoid at all costs. Every time that he and Cloud were alone together, he wound up with some implement or other shoved through one body part or other and after his most recent intimate encounter with the business end of his gunblade, he didn't much want to ruin another set of clothes on top of endure the torture from a man he was inclined to think he was becoming enamoured with.

How he could be attracted to the man in the face of what had been done to him, he didn't know. But then matters of the heart were always Sora's forte. That didn't solve the issue of whether or not to confront the blond swordsman though.

On one hand, it might resolve a good number of things but on the other, he might just be delivering himself to the bastard as though on a silver platter. Even though he knew he couldn't hide forever, he could at least inconvenience the man before the inevitable clash occurred. Then again, if it was inevitable, he may as well seek Cloud out and be done with it one way or the other, no point in drawing it out. The sooner he allowed Cloud to have his way with him, the sooner he could get back to the house to recover, since surely the others would have vacated the house by then.

With an aggravated sigh, the gunblader dragged a gloved hand through his hair and began to make his way down the ladder.

It was at the Crystal Fissure that they finally crossed paths, Cloud on his way back from the Dark Depths and Leon on his way there to look for the blond.

As soon as their eyes met, there was undeniable tension in the air. Cloud didn't know what to say, and Leon didn't know what to expect. At least the younger male seemed to be in his right mind and not radiating darkness. For the time being, the man before him was the one it was safe to talk to.

Silence reigned as they stood opposite each other, eyes drinking in each other's appearance as though it would determine the outcome of the exchange, both seeking answers to questions they weren't quite sure how to ask.


	5. Chasing Shadows

((I'm totally back and with the final installment of Secrets and Lies. As usual, sorry for the delay but I hope you enjoy the conclusion to the fic. And for all you fans out there, I'll be writing a bonus smut chapter to finish up. This will also likely be the last multichapter fic I post because I take so damn long to update them so I'll probably stick to one-shots in future, unless I am convinced otherwise. Anyway, behold, chapter five.))

Secrets and Lies  
Chapter Five  
Chasing Shadows

It seemed like an eternity that they stood there, a heavy silence enveloping them both, seeming to hush even the whistle of the wind through the breach in the rock that formed the crystal fissure. It was far from the comfortable silences they might once have enjoyed.

This one was weighted and stifling; both men waiting for the other to break that oppressive silence, but neither seemed willing to do so.

Leon was refusing to speak simply because he didn't think that it needed to be said that he was waiting for an explanation regarding the blond's recent behaviour. Cloud had raped him, tortured him and not once had Leon even considered calling the committee down on the swordsman. In his mind, he shouldn't have to say a damn thing; it should be the blond male doing all the talking, explaining what happened, apologising, trying to make amends, anything that might keep him in good favour with the gunblader despite all that had transpired between them.

Cloud on the other hand, wanted to wait for Leon to break the silence, to ask him why he'd done what he had, because he wasn't sure if he could do it without first being prompted. A part of him didn't want to speak of the sins he'd committed against the man stood opposite him but the silence couldn't be allowed to drag on forever, after all, his time in control was short. How he knew that, he wasn't sure, but he knew that if he didn't say what needed to be said, right then, the opportunity to do so would pass and he might not get another chance.

It was with that knowledge that Cloud finally sighed, looked away at something behind the gunblader and his dry lips parted to speak.

"I'm... I'm sorry." He began, knowing that sorry, regardless of how hard it was to say, would never be enough for him to atone for what he'd done. That thought allowed the darkness an ever stronger hold on him as dark despair loosened the tense muscles of his shoulders and he seemed to slump in defeat. Mere words would not undo what he'd done to the man he had managed to become attracted to, despite all odds.

Leon didn't move at all, just stood there with his arms folded, his expression carefully guarded, though his posture was tense in a way that suggested that he was leery of how genuine the man's words were going to be.

"I'm not asking that you forgive me Leon, only that you understand why I've done what I have." He forced himself to meet those cold grey eyes without flinching. "I don't want to use the darkness as an excuse but that is the reason behind my behaviour recently. It's like... rather than take on the form of Sephiroth as it did before in order to see me suffer and fail when I faced him, it's like the darkness has remained inside my body to torment me by making me hurt the people I care about. I can't stop it Leon, I can't beat it if I can't face it and I know it won't take corporeal form just because I want it to."

There was still no reaction from Leon, no surprise, no disbelief, nothing but that same silence and Cloud was beginning to feel as though that silence was accusing him, that it spoke more for Leon's scepticism than the man's words ever could. The gunblader needn't even speak in order to intimidate someone, get the results he wanted but not once had Cloud ever thought that he'd be on the receiving end of that cool, almost blank stare. It was unnerving, almost making his skin crawl and he would have preferred some kind of clash of blades, some kind of physical manifestation of Leon's disbelief and disapproval rather than that infernal silence that the man was offering in place of words or blows.

"I don't have much time left like this... You should probably go while I'm still in control. I've no idea what I'll do to you once the darkness reclaims my body. I don't think I'll be able to stand before you as myself again after this. The guilt I feel at what I've done only feeds the darkness inside me." He added in a voice that had dwindled to barely above a whisper by then.

Still Leon said nothing and Cloud was beginning to wonder if perhaps the gunblader was struggling to hold back some kind of swelling emotion, anger or the like, and it was preventing him from speaking. It was the only explanation he could think of that made any sense to him. Regardless of the reasoning behind his refusal to speak, he had to leave before Cloud was no longer in control of himself. He wouldn't be able to bear it if he raped the man a second time simply because he was conveniently there.

The seconds ticked by and the gunblader was as motionless as he had been since Cloud had started the explanation. The blond swordsman had absolutely no idea what was going through the sharp mind the brunet was in possession of but whatever it was, it had made the slender chocolate brows furrow in thought. That alone made no sense to Cloud who had expected some kind of spiteful exchange of words, some accusations thrown in there too and perhaps for them both to come to blows as Leon vented his anger on the blond who had become their enemy. Perhaps the man would even reveal how betrayed he felt that a former comrade had succumbed to the darkness despite all the efforts of his friends to keep him on the side of light.

There was nothing, only the gentle rise and fall of the gunblader's chest as he engrossed himself in his thoughts. If Cloud didn't know any better regarding the gunblader's almost uncanny awareness of anything and everything around him, he might have thought that Leon had locked himself away inside his head and that Cloud could leave and come back later and the gunblader would be right where he left him, unaware of the passage of time and Cloud's absence.

When the blond was about to put as much distance between them as he could for his companion's safety, the man opposite him finally stirred, those grey eyes sharpening and seeming to bore right through the blond male who froze, his eyes on those of stormy grey which seemed to darken the longer he remained captivated by them.

Before he could open his mouth to ask about the conclusion the man had come to, Cloud felt himself go cold and he knew that whatever happened next would be far from positive.

Seeming to sense the change before it happened, having become a little more aware of the transition between Cloud and dark-Cloud, Leon's jaw tensed a moment, his eyes hardened and before the blond could touch him his smooth voice cut through the silence that had blanketed them once more.

"Take me with you."

Even the blond, relinquishing his body to the darkness, seemed to be stunned by the order and the cruel smirk that was beginning to turn his pale lips almost immediately became a frown.

"To the darkness?" Cloud snorted in a mixture of amusement and derision. "You wouldn't last an hour in the darkness as you are and I see no reason to waste my energy on helping you when you're so easy to torment here." He dismissed but he was obviously thrown off by the demand and even as he spoke, he seemed to be weighing the pros and cons of doing as he was told. It seemed unthinkable that Leon, the pillar of light and strength for the growing city, would give it all up and enter into darkness, and for what? It didn't make any sense; surely the brunet had so much more to live for if he remained in the light? And not only that, but it was so much more satisfying to torment the gunblader when he didn't expect it, when the light blinded him to the capabilities of the darkness.

The bottom line was that Cloud didn't want the brunet gunblader to join him in the darkness, no matter what reason the man had for asking, or rather demanding that he be taken in by it.

Leon was looking at him expectantly and since his mind had been made up, the blond swordsman didn't hesitate to crush the other male's hopes. "No. I see no reason to bring you into the folds of the darkness when I can reach you easily while you remain here." He announced with a mocking lilt to his voice. "Why should I give you what you want, Leonhart? What's so important to you that you'd abandon your duties, your responsibilities to your friends, your city, and immerse yourself in the darkness?"

"You."

"You can't be serious." Cloud retorted, mirth dancing in his darkened eyes. "The leader of the Restoration Committee and beacon of hope to the people, giving up everything he holds dear for one person. One pitiful shell, so tainted by the darkness that it consumed him. It's almost laughable. Who would have thought?" He taunted, shifting his stance to one that was slightly more aggressive as he approached the brunet who held his ground for the time being, those grey/blue eyes hard as he refused to be baited into a reaction. "Can you imagine everyone's reactions? The betrayal they'd feel when the one man they thought was untouchable by the darkness, gives into it, and willingly no less. Can you see the looks on their faces as they realise what you've done? How you've left them to fend for themselves and all because of how much of a selfish asshole you are? All because you wanted _me_." The blond went on, clearly enjoying himself, especially as he could see the gunblader becoming conflicted over what course of action to take and all the while, Cloud was getting closer to the brunet until they were standing close enough to feel each other's breath on their faces.

"So how about we forget about the ridiculous request and focus on something more... satisfying?" Cloud continued, smirking at the brunet who backed up a step and the blond didn't miss the involuntary twitch of the man's fingers. Clearly the committee leader was struggling to rein in the impulse to grab his weapon and it amused the swordsman to see it even if he was a little disappointed that Leon wasn't going to go through with the motion. Seemed as though he'd started to learn his lesson regarding what happened when he pointed a weapon at the blond.

It was a shame really. An invigorating fight was just what the doctor ordered before he really started toying with the gunblader. Let the man think he stood a chance before he was shown exactly what the darkness was capable of while in the possession of a perfect young body and a huge sword.

If Leon wasn't going to instigate a fight, then Cloud would.

Shoving the brunet away from him hard enough to make the man stumble, in seconds both men had their weapons drawn, though Leon looked more than a little reluctant to participate in anything with the bastard blond. Too bad that he didn't have a choice.

Metal rang against metal as their blades met between them and Cloud's smirk widened until they pushed apart. Determined to best Cloud at least that one time, Leon fought valiantly, proving that despite how he'd been beaten before, he wasn't just going to give in. Muscles strained, sweat formed and blows were exchanged as they both fought to gain the upper hand but inevitably, it was Leon who succumbed in the end. The fight was surprisingly long and became more brutal as it progressed until Cloud began to demonstrate his ability to use the darkness to his advantage, teleporting around the brunet and attempting to strike the man's vulnerable spots, but even then it was difficult to get within the gunblader's defences. Time seemed to pass so much more slowly while they fought but eventually Leon collapsed in an exhausted, battered heap. Once he'd managed to get within the brunet's guard, Cloud had begun to toy with the man, hurting him but ensuring that he could continue to fight.

The only thing Leon could be grateful for was that no weapons were put through his shoulder, which Cloud seemed to enjoy.

Battered and bloody, Leon sank to his knees, left hand gripping a nasty tear in his right bicep that was bleeding sluggishly while numerous other cuts and gashes bled over his clothes. He looked up at the blond who was stood over him, blinking blood out of his eye from a cut that sliced across his eyebrow and waiting for the swordsman to start boasting about his victory. It came after the male struck him across the cheek, splitting it and after the brunet spat a wad of blood to the floor and returned his gaze to the blond once more.

"You can't beat me. Why do you fight when you know you'll lose to me over and over again? You're powerless against me." The blond sneered, kicking the beaten brunet with the toe of his boot. "You're too weak to endure the darkness. A poor excuse for a defender of the city. Can't protect his friends, can't protect his world, can't even protect himself." Cloud mocked. "Can't do very much there, can you Leon? It's pathetic." The blond went on, speaking far more and in a much more scornful tone than Cloud ever would have done.

Leon could only watch as the blond swordsman summoned up a dark portal and turned away from him, presumably too disgusted by the failure that was the brunet to want to face him any longer. "You get off easy this time." Cloud growled, framed by the swirling purples, blacks and blues of the portal. "But trust me, _Leon_, I'll be back for you soon." He assured the brunet who continued to do nothing more than watch him, swaying slightly as his eyes lost focus for a minute.

The gunblader had no doubt about the blond's words and knew that if he allowed the man to escape there was only going to be pain in his foreseeable future. Encounters with Cloud would only result in injury if he let the blond walk away as every upcoming meeting with him would be on his opponent's terms. It would mean that he wouldn't be able to prepare as the blond had an annoying tendency to appear at random and gained perverse satisfaction in catching the gunblader while he wasn't on guard and that in turn meant that it was unlikely that he'd get the chance to defeat the swordsman.

If he was going to act, he had to do it soon, while he wasn't suffering with a sharp implement impaling one limb or another.

Steeling his resolve, Leon hunched over himself slightly to gather his strength and waited for the telltale sound of Cloud's boots thudding on the rock surface that would indicate that the man was walking away. After a derisive snort from the darkness-shrouded blond, that sound finally came and the gunblader took it as his cue.

Rising to his feet in one smooth, fluid motion despite his injuries, the brunet male watched as Cloud retreated towards and through the portal, disappearing within its swirling hues.

He wasn't going to wait for Cloud to pick and choose when to torment him.

He wasn't going to put his friends in danger by allowing Cloud to walk freely among them.

He wasn't going to fail again.

Brows furrowed, eyes hard and determination set, Leon ignored the pain and stepped through the portal.


	6. Wearing Light Wearing Darkness

((This is it guys, the bonus chapter to Secrets and Lies. Sorry it took so long, had some problems with my wrists partway through and had to shelf the fic while I rested, so it's been sat, incomplete, for a long time. But here it is. Many many thanks to all my readers and even more to my reviewers, you guys kept me going throughout. Hope you enjoy this, and consider it a birthday present for Squall, since it's his birthday today. The previous chapter was the conclusion to the fic, just to clarify, this chapter is just a bonus for all my lovely readers. So without further ado, the bonus epilogue.))

Secrets and Lies  
Bonus Epilogue  
Wearing Light. Wearing Darkness

The heat was stifling, suffocating and inescapable, especially as a hot hand glided up along the inside of his thigh and pressed just slightly, coaxing him to spread both wider.

Clothing had long since been discarded, scattered haphazardly around them, forgotten once it was no longer hindering them in their quest for smooth, pale skin.

A slick tongue followed that hand, leaving a searing trail in its wake and causing the muscles beneath sweat-slick skin to tense and flex as the man fought against the instinctive need to shift away from the heated but infuriatingly teasing touch. Firm hands gripped his hips though, keeping him securely in place and preventing any kind of movement even if he had lacked the self control to resist the urge to move closer or further away.

A light toss of his head shifted damp brunet bangs from his face as a quiet moan tore through the silence and calloused hands clenched into the sheets beneath him.

A sadistic smirk spread across the lips of the man settled comfortably between his legs but Leon couldn't bring himself to care about how he was being looked at or what expression might be on his bedmate's face. All he cared about was getting the pleasure that Cloud was being so ridiculously slow in giving him. He wanted [i]more[/i].

Letting out a low growl when he tried to shift and encourage the heated touches, the brunet male attempted to make Cloud stop teasing him and touch him properly, but even when he reached between his legs to push the blond's face closer to his aching erection, his partner still refused to do as he was so clearly being urged to.

Leon found his hands pinned above his head as Cloud rose over him, that same smirk still in place, as if he was getting a kick out of denying the gunblader what he truly wanted, and Leon wouldn't have been surprised if that was the case. It was such delicious torture that he wouldn't have their encounters go any other way, especially as he knew the best was yet to come.

"So demanding..." Cloud breathed over his lips as he leaned in, pinning the brunet's body beneath his own. "Patience _Squall_." He murmured, licking at the male's bottom lip before pulling away. "You'll get what you want soon enough. I know how much you crave it..."

As the blond sat up again, leaving the brunet beneath him panting slightly and flushed with arousal and anticipation, Cloud reached for the potion he would use for lubrication and held it tauntingly above the pinned gunblader, watching those dark blue/grey eyes follow the swing of the vial as it was waved above him. There was no need for more foreplay, Cloud had been mercilessly teasing the brunet to within moments of orgasm for long enough already and he'd enjoyed every second of watching the normally composed man come apart at the seams.

Leon looked so beautiful beneath him, his pale skin contrasting delightfully with the deep red sheets that were rumpled below his perfect body; that body coated with a light sheen of sweat which seemed to shine even when there was so little light cast upon them. His hair was fanned out around his head, his jaw and neck marked with bites, but it was his eyes that captivated him. They were deep blue/grey, darkened with more than just lust.

They were darkened by the shadow that had already consumed Cloud.

Without wasting any more time looking over the body that was all his to taste and touch and tear apart, Cloud uncorked the potion and poured it onto his hand, coating his fingers. Within moments, he had Leon squirming above him, pushing back onto the penetrating fingers as they rubbed against his prostate, pushing the brunet to the very brink of insanity but not allowing him to topple over the edge. Cloud held him back, gripping and squeezing the base of the gunblader's heavy erection even as the incoherent moans rose in volume, in desperation.

Only when the brunet had backed away from orgasm yet again did he slick up his own cock with the potion and position himself at the stretched entrance before he pushed the smooth head inside. The way the gunblader twisted above him with a deep groan of want made it difficult to hold himself back and he blamed it on the brunet when he thrust forwards in a motion that was mostly uncontrolled.

It was impossible to determine whether the moan that spilled from the gunblader's lips was one of pain or pleasure but it didn't matter because Leon was spreading his legs wider, reaching for the blond to pull him closer, deeper. No matter how many times Cloud had him like that, writhing beneath him like a wanton whore, he knew that he'd never get tired of seeing the gunblader reduced to the mess of lust sprawled on the sheets for his pleasure.

The gunblader reached up to cling to the blond, arms gripping the man's shoulders and digging in as if to anchor himself against the rush of feeling induced by the shift of the blond's hips. When Cloud slid out of him and then back in more swiftly and with more force, that was when Leon began to show his true colours. Blunt nails raked down the swordsman's shoulders leaving red trails in their wake, and as another impossibly deep thrust rocked him up, the brunet sank his teeth into the junction of neck and shoulder hard enough to break the skin and a deep moan from the blond rewarded his aggression.

He rocked down with each penetrating thrust, feeling the blond's thick cock reach further nearly each time they came together until he wasn't sure where Cloud ended and he began.

As Cloud's blood mingled with the sweat coating them both, the blond leaned in for a harsh kiss, dominating it and delighting in the way Leon pressed closer to him so that they were touching everywhere, the gunblader clearly drowning in the passion shared between them. Saliva trailed from the corner of slick lips when they parted again and Cloud began really thrusting hard, the sound of skin slapping against skin rising above their collective moans.

Leon was too far gone to form any kind of coherent words, had been for a long time already as Cloud had spent hours peeling away the carefully maintained control that formed the brunet's armour. All he knew was deep, dark pleasure, the feel of Cloud everywhere, smothering him, suffocating him even as he begged for more.

It was the urgency in Leon's moans that clued Cloud in to the fact that the brunet was close to orgasm again and he couldn't help the cruel smile that curled his lips as he wondered for a moment just how many times the gunblader had been brought to that delicious edge already, without being permitted to release. Beneath him, Leon's eyes were squeezed shut, his expression showing a mixture of distress and anticipation. He would probably break if denied orgasm yet again.

"Come for me..." Cloud breathed against the brunet's lips, punctuating the statement with an angled thrust that slid firmly against the gunblader's prostate and that was all it took.

Leon came hard, splashing hot white fluid between them, reaching as high as their faces with the force of it as it swept him away, leaving him panting hard, eyes hazy and his grip loosening on the blond's shoulder blades. He'd probably torn the male's back to shreds as the pleasure reached heights that he'd never before thought possible.

Feeling the tight passage clenching around his own erection, Cloud rocked into the gunblader a few final times before he too felt his climax rush over him. Remaining buried inside the male for the time being, he looked down at his spent partner with a lazy smirk, leaning in to lick up drops of cum that splattered the brunet's mouth and chin. He received a weary moan for his actions, and the exhausted brunet barely participated in the kiss that Cloud forced on him, prompting the blond male to make a dissatisfied noise, suffice to say that when he was next kissed, the gunblader attempted to give as much as he was being given, overcoming his exhaustion to pour everything he had into that one kiss.

_Even a being of darkness could still love, should one so choose to._

Around them, the darkness seemed to shift and shrink away as light was permitted to bathe the pair recovering on the bed, illuminating their sweat slick bodies, the red marks left by teeth and nails, the singular trail of blood that had left a bright trail down Cloud's chest.

Leon made a distinctly unimpressed noise and cringed away from the brightness that penetrated their dark little sanctuary, prompting Cloud to chuckle quietly and brush away sweat damp bangs from the brunet's face, letting the light strike him without obstruction, despite the gunblader's obvious discomfort.

"You wear the light quite well..." The blond mused aloud, touching his fingertips to the brunet's lips and trailing them lightly over the swollen bottom one.

"But you wear the darkness better."


End file.
